The present invention relates to an improved method for manufacturing wholly enclosed tubular tires for cycles.
As employed herein the term "tubular tire" refers to a pneumatic tire, either of the inner tube or tubeless type, wherein the tire body is wholly and irremovably enclosed, in contrast to a common separable type tire, such as employed in automobiles, wherein upon removing the tire from the wheel rim, the interior of the tire is exposed.
Tubular tires are conventionally used in cycles, and particularly in racing cycles, since a tubular tire need not include the conventional heavy steel cords along the edges which must closely and sealingly mate with the wheel rim. Such cords of course add weight to the tire, and this is disadvantageous in tires used for certain purposes, for example on racing bicycles.
Tubular tires are conventionally manufactured by providing an open tire body, forming hems on opposite edges of the tire body, and then enclosing the tire body by sewing the abutted hems of the opposite edges of the tire body. This conventional method of manufacture is however expensive and is difficult to adapt to mass production techniques.